The popular black-and-gray T-shirt featuring the mantra of blind long jumper Lex Gillette currently remains sold out on his website. Just temporarily, though. After the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the year-old from North Carolina vowed to make a new batch with his trademark slogan emblazoned across the front: "No need for sight when you have a vision. Because that's one color he's definitely envisioning.
In four previous trips to the Paralympics, he's taken home a silver medal each time. On the eve of his fifth Paralympics appearance, Gillette took a moment to reflect: On being blind by around 10 years old. On discovering the long jump through a gym class. On traveling the world thanks to track. On winning numerous awards. On setting the world record in the visually impaired classification of his signature event. Recurrent retinal detachments. That's how his blurriness at 8 was explained.
Just random, too. No trauma. No sickness. No accident. He went through 10 operations in an effort to save his vision. After the final one, the doctors broke the news: His sight wasn't going to be saved. It was almost by coincidence he discovered track. He went to school with sighted kids and one of the activities in a gym class happened to be the standing long jump.
He took his first leap and had no idea how far he jumped. One of his teachers, Brian Whitmer, took him to the track and taught him the mechanics of the long jump. He also planted a thought in his mind β the Paralympics. You can break records. You can win medals,'" said Gillette, who's sang the national anthem at various events, including a San Diego Padres game.
A potential that's included setting the world mark in the T11 category with a leap of 6. He's earned medals upon medals, including silver at the Paralympic Games, silver again four years later in Beijing, silver once again in London and silver for a fourth time in Rio de Janeiro.
